


Losing Love (and Finding It again)

by SaltiSnacks



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Emotional Hurt/Comfort, F/M, Heartbreak, M/M, Not Beta Read, Pining Keith (Voltron), Pining Shiro (Voltron), Voltron: Legendary Defender Season/Series 08 Fix-It
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-21
Updated: 2019-01-21
Packaged: 2019-10-14 00:36:33
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,328
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17498303
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SaltiSnacks/pseuds/SaltiSnacks
Summary: It's the day of the wedding. The reception is over. It all comes crashing down.





	Losing Love (and Finding It again)

**Author's Note:**

> I don't own VLD. I'm not tagging him either. This is another fix-it because I'm still salty about S8.

The punch was loud in the quiet reception hall. "Well, what did you expect when you broke his heart?!"

"Wh...What?"

Most of the guests had already left. The music had been silenced and the DJ was packing up his equipment. The caterers were cleaning up the food and dishes. They were all stunned into stillness around the room, mouths open in shock.

He spun in his chair, exhausted from the festivities and congratulations that had been given all day. The day he married Takahashi Shirogane.

Though something had been nagging him all day.

He hadn’t looked right. His smile had been forced and his eyes looked empty. He seemed to be making his way on autopilot. Even his vows had been stilted and sounded compulsory.

He had held his breath during the “If anyone has any objections, speak now or forever hold your peace.” A glint of…hope…had entered his eyes, only to be dashed as silence had reigned. The forced smile had grown tighter and smaller as his eyes went blank again.

He had tried to ask him what was wrong between the ceremony and the reception, but he had only received a headshake and a “Don’t worry about it. I’m just tired. Didn’t sleep well last night.” as an answer.

Even his kiss had been redirected to his cheek instead of his lips when they entered the hall to cheers, but he had brushed it off as nerves.

He should be happy. Ecstatic. But, he wasn't.

He hadn't been since he laid eyes on Keith Kogane for the first time in months in his white tuxedo.

And then Keith left without a word. Not saying goodbye to anyone as he walked from the decorated room. He had chased after him, but his wolf must have been waiting as he disappeared without a trace.

He saw the change come over him when his message went unanswered. The look on his face as he had sprinted to the other paladins.

The nagging feeling grew worse, but he was starving, so he had refocused on his plate.

Lance was holding a still swinging Matt away from Shiro while Hunk was restraining Pidge. But, they all looked furious.

“You… You _idiot!_ You disaster! You had no idea?! _Really?!_ How many times did he save your _life?!_ How many, Shiro?!”

“He's been by your side for _years!_ We _all_ saw it, but you _couldn't?!”_ This time Pidge struggled to hold back Hunk.

“I didn't get my chance, Shiro! She's _gone!_ I tried to get him to talk to you. I _tried_ to make him see reason. He just wanted you _happy!_ And if that was with… What is his name again?!” He waved in his general direction. “Then so be it in his eyes.”

That stung as he flinched with a scowl on his face. The other paladins had never been interested in getting to know him. And now he was hearing _why._

“You're a blind fool, Shiro! You could have had the best thing in this universe that I never _got!_ That I had to _lose!_ Unconditional love! Love that crossed the line of death _itself_ to get you back! I don't get that chance!”

“He never gave up on you. _Never!_ Until _now!”_

Even Coran was shaking his head sadly. “A love story like yours…would have been an author’s dream to write.”

Shiro slowly crumpled to the ground, still holding his rapidly bruising cheek. Gasping sobs choking out of his husband. “No! _NO!_ He said I was his _brother!”_

“And you should have known he would say _anything_ to snap you out of Haggar's control!” This time it was Pidge who swung at Shiro, but his ingrained reflexes blocked it with his floating prosthesis. “He _loves_ you, you moron!”

He knew that Shiro loved Keith Kogane, but had forced it down as he thought the emotion was unrequited. He had admitted it one drunken night in their living room, and it had torn at him.

He hadn't remembered the admission the next morning, or had pretended not to anyway. He hadn't been entirely sure.

Scrambling off the floor, he ran in his direction. He knew then, this happiness was over before it had ever truly began.

His heart shattered.

He skidded to a halt and dropped to his knees by his chair. “I’m sorry. I'm so sorry. I can't…I can't let him go. He's my best friend. Keith… He's _everything_ to me. I’m so sorry.”

He was tugging off the ring that had only been worn for a few hours and slipped it into his lax shaking palm. “I hope you find someone who can love you wholeheartedly. I can't do that. Now that I know the truth, I can't… I’m so sorry. If I had just _talked_ to Keith, this never would have happened, but I was _scared._ Scared to _lose_ him when I didn’t even know or realize I already _was._ This is my fault. I’m so sorry.”

His breath caught in his lungs at the look on his face. So many emotions rapidly crossing it. But the ones that stood out were shining hope and blazing determination.

He closed his fingers around the band. He tried to sound strong, but it still came out as a whisper, “Go. Find him, Tak…Shiro. Find him and be happy.”

“I…I have no idea what to say except thank you and I'm sorry.”

“Huh. That's strange.” They both jerked at the sudden voice. Pidge was looking at a holopad. “I can't find the certificate to delete it. It’s already gone.”

“Atlas. She did it. She just hummed in my head.”

She broke into laughter. “Hey, Shiro, did you know you’re not really retired. You’re on an extended leave of _absence.”_

“What?!”

“Looks like she changed that, too, _Captain.”_

That brought a wide smile back to his face. “She’s a good ship. I’m sorry. I need to go.”

Lurching up, he ran for the open doors, white tuxedo jacket and tie being tugged off and dropped to the floor.

The cheers from the others echoed in the wide room as they chased after Shiro. “You need a crew!”

“Then hurry up, slowpokes!” The happy laughter shocked him. He hadn’t heard that sound in months.

He was still sitting in the room minutes later. Alone and sobbing, knuckles white from his tight grip around the abandoned ring.

“Umm…I know the answer already, but are you okay? I didn’t mean to overhear all that, but… You want to talk? Or, I can just sit here. That's okay, too. Or, I can leave you alone, but I don’t think that’s a good idea right now. I grabbed an unopened wine. Want a drink?”

Looking up, the DJ was standing at the table. His equipment sat ready for transport across the room. His green eyes nervous and sad as he held out the bottle.

“S…Sure.”

*****

Three years later, he clapped as he watched Shiro and Keith goofing around on the dance floor. Exaggerated dips and spins that had the crowd in hysterics.

Both smiling happily, and so in love with each other it practically glowed from their skin.

Lance was stumbling through an Altean dance Allura was trying to show him. Her shocking return with the lions of Voltron had sent the universe into joyful chaos.

They were expecting their first child in a few weeks.

He felt the squeeze on his left hand. “You okay?”

“Yeah, I'm good.”

“Next month is our turn.” A kiss was pressed over the ring.

He looked up into those green eyes. A wonderful man that had slowly pieced him back together until his heart had overflowed from all it could no longer contain. “I can’t wait.”

“Me neither. I love you. So, so much.”

“I love you.”

He wondered if he was glowing, too, as they both burst into laughter at Shiro’s yelp as Keith lifted him above his head.

**Author's Note:**

> Comments are food for the soul.


End file.
